“Writing is a lonely business” ~ said Sherman Alexie ~ and I have to agree with him!  I typically make plans to write on the plane, or in the car, or in the airport ~ but the best writing comes usually at 2 in the morning.  I love sharing on our blog about our adventures, great stories, and all about antique history.  Facebook just isn’t enough, don’t you think?

Below are some photos from my recent European adventures …

I promise to come back soon with more new posts!

More adventures await!

Treat the executive chef of your family to antiques that accentuate her exceptional palate.

It's easy to create a relaxed yet elegant atmosphere for entertaining with antiques!

The working mother deserves a comfortable, professional space to take care of business.

Tend to your mother's love for gardening with these nature inspired antiques!

Help your mother cozy up with her favorite novels with these one of a kind antiques. The piece at the bottom right is an actual antique library counter!

For the outdoorsy leader of your pack!

I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share a story about the mother figure in your life in the comments below or with us on Facebook.

Best Wishes and Happy Mother’s Day,

Rebecca Stewart

To read the full article and view the amazing March issue of Grand Luxe…Click HERE.

For more antique tablescape inspirations ~ Follow us on Pinterest

For daily design and antique ideas ~ Like us on Facebook

Live with Antiques in style!

Here are a few antiques and decor items available (as of this writing) so you won’t have to be green with envy!

 Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

On our antique buying trips we always scour the European countryside to find antique and vintage wine accessories created by winemakers ~ sometimes many decades and even centuries ago. These vineyard relics are truly cultural affects of a proud industry steeped in grand traditions, and they bring instant ambiance to our kitchens, wine rooms and cellars.  We were so thrilled to have vast quantities of these desirable items in our last to container to Baton Rouge, and even more arriving soon to our stores in Dallas and Plano. 

If you are a wine connoisseur or just a lover of the occasional good vintage, for your inspiration we have collected some great images of wine rooms ~ all designed to enhance your wine enjoyment.

This photo was taken during our trip to Napa Valley, California at the beautiful Martin Estate. A must for anyone visiting Napa Valley!

The historic Ma(i)sonry in Napa Valley.

And now as promised…the Giveaway.  To go with our wine themed topic we have a charming antique wicker-covered bonbonne.  It didn’t take long for glassmakers to realize that their carefully made hand-blown creations were inordinately fragile.  Some clever person came up with the idea of wrapping the bottles with wet wicker, that when dried clung to the bottles like a second skin, providing a lot more durability during transport.   Each is one of a kind, adding a great vineyard flair and rustic country texture to any interior!

Giveaway Instructions:

• Let us know how you would use this wicker-covered bonbonne to decorate your own home by commenting on this blog post. This is the only mandatory action for the giveaway, but the rest will increase your chances of being drawn at random.
• Like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest and Twitter to earn an extra entry for each.  Make sure to mention your username if it differs in your comment below.
• Share this blog post on Facebook or Pinterest for additional entries.
• And last, but not least, comment on this Facebook post and this post on Pinterest for two more entries!
• At this time, our blog giveaways are only open to those in the continental United States. The winner will be drawn at random and then notified by email at the end of the giveaway. Contest ends March 15, 2013.

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Check back soon as we will have a new giveaway next week, and as always ~ more Antiques in Style!

- Elinor Glyn

Have you had a chance to see new February issue of Grand Luxe magazine? Well, it is all about how to stir you imagination to infuse romance into this enchanting season, of course in a grand and luxurious way ~ from fashion to jewelry, from beautiful flowers by Carolyn Roehm to European travel in the romantic Cotswolds of England.

Keeping with the amorous spirit of Saint Valentine’s, I drew the inspiration for my column from the rich antique romance of our historic past. With a fairy tale’s aura from so many historic periods, it’s easy to find an idyllic era which appeals to our soul. Below, beside the reprint of my article we have gathered some images of love tokens from our antique furniture and accessories vignettes to share with you.

Many antique and charming tokens have been bestowed on loved ones throughout centuries of celebrations of St. Valentine’s Day. The lovely antique treasures above perfectly capture traces of history and the mystery of romance of the past.

This enthralling romantic legacy creates styles which are ours to choose and enjoy.

Wishing you and your loved ones a lovely St. Valentines Day!

Ingredients

• 1 oz. baby Arugula (two generous handfuls)
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds* (about 1/2 of a whole pomegranate)
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

*If you aren’t familiar with how to seed a pomegranate, please click here for a handy step-by-step guide!

Vinaigrette

• 2 tbsp. of raspberry vinegar (regular fruit vinegar can be used)
• 1/4 cup walnut oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

• Whisk vinegar, salt, pepper.
• Slowly add walnut oil to vinaigrette until blended.
• Place arugula in a mixing bowl, pour just enough dressing to coat the leaves, toss.
• Separate between two serving salad plates
• Top salad with pomegranate seeds and pine nuts.

Makes 2 salads.

Bon appétit!

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

From all of us at Inessa Stewart’s Antiques & Interiors, we hope you have a fantastic, fun, and safe Mardi Gras!

 If you love the rustic and Country French look, then these settings should appeal to you. Since the kitchen was the center of the country home, pottery, bonbonnes, cutting boards, and other culinary antiques are essential in recreating the feeling of hearth and home that is Normandy, Provence and Luberon.

~

The hunt was popular in French country manors and a favored pastime that developed into what we call today the Hunt or Black Forest styles.  Here we used still life paintings of game, hand-carved accessories, barometers, cave à liqueurs, and gentlemen’s boxes for accents.  In our Dallas store we just acquired a large collection of trophies ~ perfect to accentuate the stylish hunt look.

The romance and elegance of a French chateau is classic and unmistakable in its appeal.  Whatever your preference, the extravagant Rococo or perhaps the contrast of Neo-classical, chic lines or maybe the softer feel of Paris Country, this vignette surely has it all!  The crystal chandelier, pastorals, romantic paintings, the horloge garnitures, the jardinières, the statuary of terracotta and bronze are all set on bombe commodes and marble consoles.

All the lovely antique items you see in these vignettes and the collage above are each meticulously photographed so you can take a closer look.  If you would like to learn more about each treasure and order online, each item is featured with thorough descriptions, measurements and their prices on our website.  Just click HERE to go directly to our online store.  Perhaps you are new to our website and worry about buying online? Looking at our photos is almost as good as seeing it in person (I know seeing and feeling the antique first hand is ideal, but you don’t want a perfect piece to get away…).  We take many photos of each item and perform an additional photo study of each antique after its arrival stateside and our expert polishing and refurbishing. Feel free to call us or email us ~ we love to hear from you and help you bring home one of a kind, exceptional pieces for you and your family to enjoy for generations!

If you have not discovered it yet, I do recommend it.  This blog is very inspiring and quite fun as she covers everything from decorating beautiful interiors to travelling, from shopping to gardening and antique collecting ~ all subjects close to my heart. She is also famous for her amazing collages, where you can easily see her passion for beautiful colors.  Her stunning mosaics with gorgeous images are created with such flair!  Below are just a few of my favorites… 

Light, airy, and so romantic~ Crisp and Cream

Blue has always been my favorite color ~ French Winter Blues

Yesterday while starting to read her post from last week- Friday, January 25 (always trying to catch up) I was so excited to see the antique pair of tapestry cartoons she purchased from us prominently featured in Jan’s bedroom!  (Tapestry cartoons were the paintings that served as the guides and inspirations for tapestry creators as they were weaving them on the looms).  I found this treasured pair featuring adorable cherubs in France last year and Jan spotted them on our online store~ inessa.com.  It is so gratifying to see these beauties installed in the space, as they are truly of the perfect palette for her bedroom.

Come back and visit us soon so we can all enjoy discovering antiques, art and design!

If you want to learn more about Jan and her wonderful blog, click on the links below:

Jan’s Blog      Jan’s Facebook     Jan’s Pinerest

On our winter holiday visiting family we took a day to explore this majestic mansion and museum surrounded by enchanting gardens. We were blessed with marvelous weather so I was able to take an enormous amount of photos that I could not possibly put in this blog!  Below are the highlights of our excursion through the amazing treasures of this collection and the sprawling gardens across this vast estate.  The estate was founded during the fantastic times of Great Gatsby, and is positioned on the majestic shores of Sarasota Bay.

]]> http://www.inessa.com/blog/antique-jewel-florida/feed/ 0 http://www.inessa.com/blog/inessa%e2%80%99s-secret-chicken-soup/ http://www.inessa.com/blog/inessa%e2%80%99s-secret-chicken-soup/#comments Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:15:21 +0000 Inessa Stewart http://www.inessa.com/blog/?p=2273 Read More >>]]> The ultimate in winter comfort food and a staple on cold and rainy days, a steaming bowl of homemade chicken soup is sure to satisfy the senses and spirit. With so many sick with the flu and other winter ailments this season, this recipe has been put to use soothing sore throats and easing congestion.  Of course you do not need to be sick to enjoy this recipe, a true comfort for your body and soul! I hope you enjoy making this for you and your loved ones. Please let me know in the comments below how yours turns out!

Ingredients        

Directions

• Heat oil on medium heat in a Dutch oven or a stock pot and roast onions and garlic for 5 minutes, continuously stirring.  Add carrots, celery and parsnips then turn up the heat to medium high to roast the vegetables.
• Cover and continue roasting for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  If the pot seems to get a little dry, add a couple splashes of hot water and continue roasting.
• Next, add the chicken to the pot with 4 quarts of water, then parsley, thyme, salt and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 1 hour.
• Remove the chicken from the broth; let it cool on a plate or a cutting board. Debone and shred the chicken into small chunks.
• While the chicken is cooling, strain the broth through a fine mesh colander and return to the stockpot.
• The is the secret part of the recipe that gives my soups extra flavor so take note (I am not going to be like that evil relative that leaves the secret ingredient out): heat the vegetable oil on medium high in a small skillet; add garlic and stir frequently for about 5 minutes, then add parsley, thyme and the reserved cup of shredded carrots, continuing to stir frequently.
• Keeping the skillet on medium high heat sauté carrot and herbs until they soften and start to give mixture a color; about 10 minutes.
• For the soup, at the same time bring the stock to a boil and add the rest of the carrots, celery and parsnips.  Boil for 10 minutes.
• Add reserved chicken, boil for another 5-10 minutes, and then add sautéed herbs and carrots from the skillet.  Bring back to a simmer, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
• To serve the soup I cook desired noodles or rice separately and heat them up in the soup.

Bon appétit, mes amis!

-Dante Alighieri

I am sure by now most have heard of the social image-sharing network site Pinterest.  If you have not, I recommend all antique and vintage lovers get acquainted so you do not miss all the fun!  Pinterest is one of the fastest growing sites on the web because it has something to offer for everyone.  Regardless of if you are an art lover, antique collector, fashionista or devotee of interior design, you can follow your favorite sites and create your own customized and fascinating boards.

Well, needless to say, our Inessa Stewart’s Antiques & Interiors team fully jumped on this creative bandwagon.  If you join us in this fun pursuit of fascinating pinboards with amazing interiors, French and Italian antiques, historic travel destinations and all things antique, beautiful and creative, I know we will all have a lot of fun sharing and learning.

 On our Pinterest site we include many original photos, display ideas, our favorite designers, and travel destinations, as well as inspiring visual discoveries and images ~ all while creating an alluring tableau which gives flight to our imagination! 

Follow us on Pinterest

Like us on Facebook

And now for the winner of our giveaway!

The winner of our contest for the antique scale is…

DeeAnn!

Many thanks to all of you who shared you favorites from our new shipment. We always appreciate your comments. Have a wonderful day!

Today I am sharing my recipe for some truly amazing “24 Carrot Cupcakes”.  The amazing thing is that they are delicious and very easy to make, and quite nutritious.  The yield is about two dozen medium size cupcakes, hence the name.  It happens to be my husband John’s  favorite dessert ~ a total must for birthdays and Father’s Days (and breakfasts, lunches and dinners following the momentous occasion…).

Twenty Four Carrot Cupcakes

 Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cups vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups grated carrots (less than 1 pound)

For the frosting:

• 1/2 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter (one stick), at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 pound confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat the sugar, oil, and vanilla together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs, 1 at a time beating until creamy. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda (make sure you sift baking soda, as it can be lumpy), and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixer. Then add the grated carrots, the remaining flour – alternating. Just until just combined – do not over mix.

Line muffin pans with paper liners (using liners makes a better presentation). Spoon the batter with an ice cream scoop into 24 muffin cups until each is 3/4 full (do not over fill as you need to leave room for the muffins to rise and also for frosting). Bake at 350 degrees F and cook for 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack. (Cupcakes can be frozen for 30 days without frosting. Defrost in refrigerator for 24 hours.)

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the sugar and cream until smooth. Blend the toasted (do not skip toasting, as it imparts considerable taste difference to the frosting), chopped pecans.

When the cupcakes are cool, frost them generously and serve.

Makes 24 carrot cupcakes (I recommend doubling the recipe ~ they disappear very quickly)

Gluten Free version – Substitute 2 cups of regular flour for Gluten Free flour mix (I use Gluten Free Pantry Brand).

Vegan version – Substitute 3 eggs in the batter with Egg replacer mix, following provided instructions (I found one at Whole Foods. They are also available online). For the frosting use dairy free butter and cream cheese. 

I have baked these cupcakes for many years. The kids just love them and it is guaranteed to turn grownups into kids!

In the January issue of the magazine I shared a story on the history of, and decorating with, the timeless subject of clocks.  I thought it was ideal to talk about this instrument of the measurement of time as we begin a New Year.  I find the eye appeal and elegance of clocks, when combined with the diversity of styles available to us, makes them a perfect decorative accessory for all that love things old and beautiful.

Below is the full article and also some extra images from our photo shoot.

Antique clocks from past centuries have become much sought-after, since keeping track of time has been done not just out of necessity, but also for affectation.  Let us know how you use your clocks in today’s decorating!

We are so exited about all the New Year’s shipments that we would love to share our joy and celebrate with the first of the year’s giveaway, a charming rustic French antique kitchen scale.

The rules of our giveaway are always quite simple:

1. Go on our website to the New Antique Arrivals section (or just click HERE)

2. Comment on this blog below to tell us what are your favorite items and why.

3. For an additional chance to win, click HERE to go to like our Facebook page AND leave another comment. At this time, the contest is only open to the continental United States.

We appreciate all your wonderful reflections, remarks and look forward to reading them. One lucky winner will be announced at the end of next week. If you are new to our blog, please sign up to receive our frequent blogs, sale and shipment announcements and also have fun participating in many fun giveaways!

Antique Italian altar candlesticks make remarkable statement in interior décor with original gold leaf patina finish.

You know how much we love culinary antiques and this shipment delivers them in abundance~ from confit pots to antique cutting boards, from copper to pewter…

I had to show this amazing antique marble top table with an exquisitely hand forged wrought iron base.  I just love the lines and the marble top that took several men to lift!

An extraordinary find ~ an antique Italian altar candelabra, hand-carved and silver leafed for a glorious effect.

A few of the charming accessories in the shipment that can add such warmth and the finishing touch to an antique-inspired home interior. 

We couldn’t possibly show all of the items on this container in our blog (there are over 300 items!) so Rebecca designed this collage to give you a tantalizing glimpse of our exciting shipment.

And now for the giveaway!

Our first antique give away of this year will be…. announced tomorrow! But we’d like to offer you a head start on your entries! Simply click here to see the complete container. Please let us know what your favorite piece is, and why. Then, make sure you also like us on Facebook. We love hearing from you!